Observers aim to maintain integrity of election

For all those voters out there, you might wonder what exactly happens to your ballot after it enters the drop box.

One thing voters might not know about the ballot counting process is that in Oregon and in many other states, people can sit and watch the processing take place.

They’re called election observers, and they volunteer their time to watch people deliver, open, check, flatten out and scan thousands and thousands of ballots.

Election observers don’t say anything — they just watch.

There are usually two observers from each party represented on the ballot. They make sure nothing unusual happens, so voters can be certain their vote counts.

Aurie Salfen, a coordinator for the Deschutes County election observers in Bend, has been observing elections every two years for the past six years. She said Monday she believes Oregon to one of the most progressive states, in terms of its voting process — and that election observers help keep it that way.

“We observe that this part of the process is done correctly, so if anyone has any questions about the security or integrity about the voting system in Oregon, we’re here to say we’ve seen it happen.” Salfen said. “We watch, we look for errors or mistakes. If there’s a stray piece of paper on the floor, we want to know why.”

Before becoming an official observer, a person must go through several hours of training to learn how to detect and deter fraud. It’s a system that was designed to protect the integrity of the election. And as first-year observer Julie Zwillich explained, it’s both thrilling and boring to watch.

“Oh, my God. This is where it is happening,” she said. “This is where democracy is happening. This is where every single person who has taken the time to send in a ballot or bring in a ballot, their vote is being counted, their voice is being heard. So you kind of go back and forth between the tediousness of it and the overwhelming democracy of it.”

Election observers can’t speak to the people opening ballots, and if they notice something unusual, they inform the coordinator, who informs the county clerk.

Nearly all states allow partisan election observers.